The present invention relates, in general, to athletic socks, and, in particular, to athletic toe socks.
Toe socks have been around since at least the 1960s. A toe sock is worn like a regular sock, except the sock includes multiple toe sections to accommodate the wearer""s toes, similar to the way the finger sections of a glove accommodate a wearer""s fingers. Toe socks of the past were made more for novelty purposes than for true athletic use. Problems with prior toe socks include that the sock material was made of an uncomfortable acrylic material or the sock material was made of materials such as cotton/poly blends and poly blends that absorb moisture, making them inadequate for athletic use. Additional problems include that the stitching between toe sections was bulky and uncomfortable, the socks had a generic shape, the socks were baggy, and the socks were not anatomically shaped or form fitting. The poor fit of these socks caused the socks to move around on the wearer""s foot during use, increasing the probability of blisters or other foot irritation caused by rubbing.
Accordingly, the inventors of the present invention recognized a need for an anatomic dry athletic toe sock that functions like a second skin for the wearer""s foot and eliminates one or more of these problems with prior toe socks.
An aspect of the invention involves an anatomic dry athletic toe sock shaped to fit either a right foot or a left foot of a wearer. The anatomic dry athletic toe sock includes a sock shaft section including an open end through which the foot of the wearer is inserted when the sock is put on. The sock shaft section includes an shaft support section to encircle a lower part of a leg of a wearer and maintain the sock in proper orientation upon the leg. A closed foot section is adapted to receive the foot of the wearer and includes a heel section adapted to receive a heel of the wearer therein, an arch section having an arch support section to encircle the foot of the wearer in the arch of the wearer""s foot and prevent the arch section of the sock from moving relative to the wearer""s foot, and a plurality of separated, closed toe sections to receive toes of the foot of the wearer. The toe sections are joined by nested, overlapping material portions. The sock is also made at least partially of an air-permeable hydrophobic fiber material.
Another aspect of the invention involves an anatomic dry athletic toe sock shaped to fit either a right foot or a left foot of a wearer. The anatomic dry athletic toe sock includes a sock shaft section including an open end through which the foot of the wearer is inserted when the sock is put on. The sock shaft section is adapted to encircle a lower part of a leg of a wearer and includes a shaft support section to maintain the sock in proper orientation upon a wearer""s leg. A closed foot section is adapted to receive the foot of the wearer. The foot section includes a heel section adapted to receive a heel of the wearer therein, an arch section having an arch support section to encircle the foot of the wearer in the arch of the wearer""s foot and to prevent the arch section of the sock from moving relative to the wearer""s foot, and a plurality of separated, closed toe sections to receive toes of the foot of the wearer.
An additional aspect of the invention involves an anatomic dry athletic toe sock shaped to fit either a right foot or a left foot of a wearer. The anatomic dry athletic toe sock includes a sock shaft section including an open end through which the foot of the wearer is inserted when the sock is put on and is adapted to encircle a lower part of a leg of a wearer. A closed foot section is adapted to receive the foot of the wearer. The closed foot section includes a heel section adapted to receive a heel of the wearer therein, an arch section, and a plurality of separated, closed toe sections to receive toes of the foot of the wearer. The sock is also made at least partially of an air-permeable hydrophobic fiber material and includes an interior portion and an exterior portion. The interior portion includes a greater amount of hydrophobic fiber material than the exterior portion, the hydrophobic fiber material serving to wick away perspiration from the user""s body and allow air therethrough.
A further aspect of the invention involves an anatomic dry athletic toe sock shaped to fit either a right foot or a left foot of a wearer. The anatomic dry athletic toe sock includes a sock shaft section including an open end through which the foot of the wearer is inserted when the sock is put on and is adapted to encircle a lower part of a leg of a wearer. A closed foot section is adapted to receive the foot of the wearer. The closed foot section includes a heel section adapted to receive a heel of the wearer therein, an arch section, and a plurality of separated, closed toe sections to receive toes of the foot of the wearer. The toe sections are joined by nested, overlapping material portions.
A still further aspect of the invention involves an anatomic dry athletic toe sock shaped to fit either a right foot or a left foot of a wearer. The anatomic dry athletic toe sock includes a sock shaft section including an open end through which the foot of the wearer is inserted when the sock is put on and is adapted to encircle a lower part of a leg of a wearer. A closed foot section is adapted to receive the foot of the wearer. The closed foot section includes a heel section adapted to receive a heel of the wearer therein, an arch section having a circumferential ribbed elastomeric band adapted to encircle the foot of the wearer in the arch of the wearer""s foot and for preventing the arch section of the sock from moving relative to the wearer""s foot, and a plurality of separated, closed toe sections to receive toes of the foot of the wearer.